Pacific Ridge School Athletes Develop Community and Character
Developing Healthy Student-Athletes at Pacific Ridge School by Macaroni Kid Carlsbad According to non-profit Common Sense Media, teens consume an average of nine hours of entertainment media per day, with tweens averaging six hours. With that kind of online connectivity, it’s important for adolescents and teenagers to develop healthy physical, mental, social and emotional skills. School athletics can help build all of these, and the best environments are those in which students are supported by athletic and academic mentors, along with their peers. The athletic program at Carlsbad’s Pacific Ridge School is
Importance of Proper Youth Training Protocols
Training the youth athlete effectively takes thought, adherence to science-based modalities, patience and always a bit of fun! With the proper type of programming, training youth athletes can produce measurable results rather quickly, while still maintaining a safe environment that leads to building a foundation of efficient movement skills for the future. Many of us have heard the theory that strength training for younger children can lead to stunted growth and ultimately hinder their sports performance capabilities in the future. While there are definitely some exercises and training protocols that have
Exercises To Improve Your Power
Depth Jump: Start by standing on a box with one foot forward and arms up in preparation to snap them back with the hips. Allow yourself to fall toward the ground, and on impact, immediately force the ground away with minimal ground contact. Land on the box in front if you. Your landing position may vary based on goals. Tall, power, or deceleration landings can all be used. Rotation may be used also as a variable as you see @shecks demonstrating below. Speed squats with accommodating resistance: Speed squats with chains or bands
Grind….what you all know about GRIND???
Two Saturdays ago I found myself arriving home around midnight, after more than a couple celebratory IPAs and an ill-advised whiskey nightcap. Sleep was in major need but not gonna happen, as I was still buzzing from my friend Keanu Asing’s requalification on the Championship Tour. So I decided to throw on one of my favorite movies of all time, Platoon. One of the great scenes in the movie is when Tom Berenger’s vicious Sgt. Barnes walks in on a group of soldiers plotting to kill him. The scene ends
Anatomy 101: A Thrower’s Arm
On average 50% of baseball and softball players experience a throwing-related injury. According to the American Sports Medicine Institute, “The 2014 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System reported 130,376 emergency room visits due to baseball/softball related shoulder, elbow, trunk, lower arm, head, neck, ankle and facial injuries.” First and foremost, the main goal of training should be to keep athletes healthy, best acquired with a comprehensive approach. This should include a sport-specific strength and conditioning programming, shoulder and elbow care programming, and an in-depth educational process. Education is imperative to help athletes understand how to take care of their
Surf Smart, Prevent Injury
Surfing is not the first thing you think of when considering sports-related injuries. However, it has its fair-share of complications. Surfing poses risks of concussion, head injury, and even spinal fractures. Although these injuries are scary, they are much less common and not necessarily preventable with preparation (other than looking out for nearby kooks). Many musculoskeletal injuries, on the other hand, are preventable. This blog outlines some simple preemptive steps you can take to protect yourself from sprains, strains, and worse. Mobility! Mobility! Mobility! The BEST thing you can do for your
The Bro Deal with Todd Clever
Captain America, Rugby Fabio, Tom Selleck….the nicknames go on and on. But that typically comes when you are the face of USA Rugby for over a decade, arguably the most decorated Eagle ever, and your play on the field is as ferocious as your Lion’s mane. Todd Clever is also a great dad and one of the most fun blokes to hang with, and I am proud to call him my friend. Initiation of the Bro Deal About 10 years ago I was a personal trainer aspiring to break into the world
Training with a Pro Skater: Ryan Sheckler
As a strength and conditioning coach, I have had the opportunity to work with some extremely gifted athletes. One of the most impressive athletes that I have had the pleasure of working with is Ryan Sheckler. In the sport of skateboarding, Ryan has proven himself not only to be one of the best in the world but one of the best of all time. Ryan won gold medals in the 2003, 2008 and 2010 X games. He won silver medals in 2006 and 2012 and took the bronze in
The Four Performance Qualities EVERY Skateboarder Needs
Skateboarding can be an extremely entertaining sport to watch- these wiry humans spinning through the air, grinding on rails and flipping their boards in seemingly impossible ways. Even the SOUND of skating seems to be quite pleasing to the ears. (check out our boy Tom Schaar winning the recent Vans Park Series Event at the 2017 Australian Open) What few fans of skating realize, however, is the BRUTAL TOLL it takes on their bodies. From concussions, broken bones, soft tissue injuries and skin lacerations, these stereotyped “skate rats” are much
How to Prevent Back Pain from your Golf Game
Golf is a highly skillful and patient sport, yet requires a high demand on the athlete’s body. A majority of golfers, from weekend warriors to professional, have experienced some form of back pain. Due to the explosive rotational movement of the golf swing, there is a significant amount of stress placed on the body, particularly the spine. Golfers also spend a considerable amount of time in a forward bent position while putting, adding stress to the back. Combine all of the stress along with hundreds of repetitive motions, and it
Easy Home Training Tips for Golfers
Golf is a sport that requires control, flexibility, power, feel- and let’s be honest- some luck is always nice! While I can’t help you out when it comes to luck, I can give you a few techniques and explanations for how to improve your physical attributes and skill set to give you the best chance of success moving forward. Before beginning any program, it is best to make sure you are cleared for exercise with no pre-existing conditions or injuries that could lead to pain or further injury. After being
Common Lacrosse Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Lacrosse is a rapidly growing, fast-paced sport that is physical in nature with both player-to-player contact and stick-to-player contact. Lacrosse is a sport that challenges the entire body and requires a great amount of sprinting, cutting, agility, and hand-eye coordination. Due to the competitive nature of the sport, athletes experience many injuries ranging from acute trauma to chronic overuse injuries. COMMON INJURIES: Concussions are fairly common in lacrosse and usually occur from collisions with other players, getting hit in the head by a stick or the ball, or from a fall. Shoulder injuries